Wareham, Mass. 一 The Gatemen broke through: against the reigning Cape League champions and the leaders in the West Division no less.
After Cape Cod Baseball League’s Fenway Day, the league’s fourth off-day in which players from all 10 franchises took batting practice in front of MLB scouts, Wareham looked to establish itself at the start of the longest month of the Cape League calendar. Despite a ninth-inning comeback bid, the Gatemen dropped their opening game in July to the Whitecaps. Could a trip to America’s most beloved ballpark and an on-field movie night help turn the tides?
It must’ve. Wareham played its best team baseball of the summer in a 7-5 win over Bourne, a squad who took two games on the road at Spillane Field in 2025. But while the Gatemen played their most connected and complete game of the season, they received contributions from some new faces.
Connor Cuff (Southeastern Louisiana) and Carter Groen (Georgia Tech) made their debuts for the Gatemen on Friday. Most players in the CCBL struggle out of the gate between facing arms in the nation’s most prestigious summer collegiate baseball league and the bat adjusting from metal to wood. Wareham’s two newcomers starred in their debut with five combined hits and three total RBIs.
“It (success in the Cape League from day 1) is kind of rare to be honest with you, right out the gate to have that many hits,” Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth said. “Normally it takes guys a couple days, but it's the exact reason why we brought those guys in. We thought they were going to be immediate impacts, and have been, obviously, on day one.”
The offense一its seven runs and 11 base hits一was an outstanding offensive surge. But it takes an entire team effort to take down the reigning champs. Not only did Connor Mohan (Wake Forest) toss 4.1 scoreless innings, he struck out eight batters and only allowed two men to reach base.
“That was almost like a start for him (Mohan), right? We used two arms tonight and got away with it,” Smyth said. “That's kind of rare in the Cape, but two guys fish really well tonight, and Mohan coming in and really basically throwing up zeros the rest of the night. That was phenomenal. Kudos to him. That was a great outing.
The Gatemen took the first of two straight matchups against the Braves, but now stare down the defending champs at their place over the bridge
